AP: Ethics board clears Moffitt

Here’s an excerpt from the Associated Press article, via the Asheville Citizen-Times:

The State Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against Republican Rep. Tim Moffitt brought by his political challenger.

The commission determined there was no probable cause to show Moffitt violated state law or the state Ethics Act during a meeting with Democrat Brian Turner on Feb. 24 at Travinia Italian Kitchen in Biltmore Park.

Turner faces Moffitt in the November election in House District 116.

He has said Moffitt asked him to drop out of the race during the meeting. …

Turner faces Moffitt in the November election in House District 116.

He has said Moffitt asked him to drop out of the race during the meeting. …

And here’s the press release from Tim Moffitt. To read the State Ethics Commission’s Notice of Dismissal click here.

ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST REPRESENTATIVE MOFFITT DISMISSED

RALEIGH, NC — On Friday, the State Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against
Representative Tim Moffitt for lack of merit.

A complaint filed in March by Brian Turner alleges that Turner was threatened, bribed and bullied at a February 24 lunch meeting that Turner initiated with Representative Moffitt. After an exhaustive two month investigation, involving interviews with all witnesses and the review of numerous inconsistent statements by Turner, the eight- member ethics panel found Turner’s allegations to be entirely without any factual basis and ruled in favor of Moffitt.

“I knew the charges to be untrue when the complaint was filed against me in March,” said Representative Moffitt. “When you’re a Republican in elected office, it seems that such attacks are just part of the job. You have to have a thick skin. But it’s been very tough on my family.”

Turner, a resident of the exclusive Biltmore Forest community, is searching for ways to unseat Moffitt from the state House. Tim Moffitt is serving his second term representing the southern and western portions of Buncombe County.

Representative Moffitt has declined to do any fundraising or campaigning since the charges were filed, but has continued to maintain a busy legislative schedule in
Raleigh. “I didn’t feel right asking people to support my campaign while my opponent was making allegations attacking my character and integrity,” Representative Moffitt
continued. “I chose not to politicize the matter out of respect for the process. Unfortunately, my opponent decided from the very beginning to take the opposite route — and sadly, he’s used these false allegations to create support and raise money.”

Turner, who personally spread the false allegations at political party meetings earlier this year, was initially hesitant to confirm the allegations to the press and stated he would not initiate a complaint. Turner later reversed himself when a local radio personality called into question the truthfulness of his claims. Audio of a telephone conversation that Turner secretly recorded across state lines with Buncombe County Commissioner David King later surfaced in which Turner admitted that making these allegations would “be advantageous to me in my campaign.”

“It’s disappointing that my opponent participated in conduct like this,” concluded Representative Moffitt. “It shows how desperate Mr. Turner is to get into office. Slander, libel, abuse of process — politics as usual in this area.”

The Ethics Commission is an independent, eight-member quasi-judicial panel that oversees the administration of the State Government Ethics Act. Four of the eight voting members of the commission were appointed by Democrats, four by Republicans.